Monday night was just another day the office for Ravens punter Sam Koch. The highlight, of course, was watching his first punt of the night travel an astounding 73 yards to pin the Saints deep into their own territory.
After having a down year in 2013 (13th in net average), there was much speculation heading into this season that Koch could find himself as a salary cap casualty considering the Ravens’ “80/20″ policy (80% of the production for 20% of the cost).
As the Ravens began offseason activities, Koch found himself with some competition as the team brought in undrafted rookie Richie Leone to challenge the veteran. The organization quickly found out that Koch was still the man for the job; it didn’t take long for him to outperform the young Leone in every aspect of the position.
The team banked on his successful camp carrying over to the regular season, and Koch hasn’t disappointed.
Entering Week 13, 56.8% of his punts this season have pinned opponents inside the 20 – the NFL’s best average. He has placed 21 of his 37 punts inside the 20, ranking as the NFL’s seventh most. Currently Koch leads all punters in Pro Bowl votes this season.
“It’s been more so this year, and that has been a little more gratifying,” Koch stated when asked about the pride he puts into controlling the battle for field position. “Rather than trying to punt the ball as high as you can and trying to angle it properly, we’re doing other things this year trying to keep the ball away from the returners.
“We’re keeping the ball low, putting it up high.It just depends on what we’re trying to do for that particular game. It just makes it more enjoyable for me. I’m not just out there doing the routine thing every single punt. Even though it does make it a lot easier because you’re hitting the same ball every time, this year we’re mixing it up, and we’re having fun with it.”
Experience and knowledge of the game is key for any punter in NFL. Many fans will remember the veteran savvy Koch exhibited during Super Bowl XLVII, taking valuable seconds off the clock to secure the Ravens’ second Lombardi Trophy.
Dubbed a “salty competitor ” by kicker Justin Tucker, Koch has been an ironman for the Ravens as he hasn’t missed a game in his NFL career (139-straight games), a streak that ranks first in Ravens franchise history.
“Salty competitor?,” Koch replied when about Tucker’s reference. “That’s probably a good way to put it, because I’m always striving to just do the best I can each and everyday. He’s probably pretty close to being right on.”
As the team makes its push to the postseason, Koch’s leg will continue to play a crucial part in an often overlooked part of the game – field position.
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